Nighttime Tale
by talon1321
Summary: Lirael returns to Abhorsen's House after battles with the Dead. Minor edits, same story. One-shot


**A/N:** I know the summary is vague, but I didn't want to give too much away. Sorry to anyone who read this already, it's the same story. I just found mistakes and wanted to fix them.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything of Garth Nix's.

Lirael walked into the silent Abhorsen's House. A sending met her in the front hall, following her up the stairs to her room. After removing the gear that made her the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, she allowed the sending to help her bathe. It had been a long journey, Lirael reflected. A paperwing flight, several battles with the undead, a short trip to Belisaere to let Sabriel know how everything went, and then back to Abhorsen's House. Half asleep, Lirael finished her bath, and started to dress in her nightclothes. Just as her head popped out of the top of her nightgown, a quiet knock came at the door. Lirael walked across the room, smiling when she saw who it was.

"Hello Nick." She said sleepily.

"Hi Lirael. How was your journey?"

"Long and tiring. Where is Eleriel?"

"Sleeping."

"Thank you for watching her. She did not give you any trouble did she?"

Nick gave a soft chuckle. "No, Ele's a good little girl. I have to meet Sam in Belisaere. I will see you soon Lirael."

"Good night Nick. And be careful, won't you?"

"I will. Goodnight." Lirael watched as he walked down the hall where he would eventually end up at the paperwing deck, where he would fly back to the capital.

Lirael turned back into her room when her mother senses pricked, completely separate from her Death senses. Lirael could not explain when this happened. She just knew that she had to get to Eleriel, quickly. She rushed to Eleriel's room, her exhaustion forgotten. She paled, her four-year-old daughter in the grips of a nightmare, a bad one by the looks of it. Lirael knew that if she did not wake her soon, the screaming would start. Lirael rushed over, pulling off the covers that were constricting Eleriel's thrashing body. Eleriel seemed to panick more, her sleeping self sensing another. Lirael pulled the little girl close.

"Wake up Eleriel. Wake up for me please." She crooned in her soft voice, rocking Eleriel in her arms.

Eleriel stopped panicking and thrashing. She soon opened her eyes, looking up confused.

"Mum! You're back."

"Yes love. I am back. Are you alright?"

Eleriel snuggled closer to Lirael. "Bad dreams." She said quietly.

"About what?" Lirael asked, not really expecting Eleriel to answer. Eleriel never remembered her nightmares.

"The Dead." She said solemnly, her eyes big as she looked to Lirael's face.

Lirael frowned, panic and fright racing through her. Consequently, she squeezed Eleriel closer to her.

"Mum, you're squeezing me too tight." Eleriel wriggled in Lirael's grasp.

Lirael relented her grip on her daughter. "Sorry Ele." She kissed her forehead where the Charter Mark glowed with familiar warmth.

Eleriel giggled, her nightmares forgotten for the moment. "Mum, that tickles."

Lirael smiled. "Back to sleep. Mum's tired."

Lirael set Eleriel back into the bed, and she burrowed under the blankets when Lirael untwisted them and covered her back up. Lirael stroked Eleriel's cheek once.

"Goodnight love. Sleep tight."

Eleriel smiled and Lirael smiled in kind. When Lirael was sure Ele would be alright, Lirael went back to her room, collapsing on the bed. She burrowed under the covers, in much a similar fashion as her daughter had, wrapping her arms around herself. She bit her lower lip, trying to stop the urge to cry. Her attempts soon proved to be futile because tears were soon rolling down her cheeks, landing on the pillow. She thought of her lover, Dane, who had died before Eleriel had been born. It was nights like these that she missed him most. When all hope seemed lost, he would be the one to assure her that all would be fine. He had known her far more intimately than anyone else.

Her thoughts then strayed to Eleriel. Of Eleriel falling asleep in her own bed across the hall, her daughter that would never know her father. Eleriel who would one day take up the Abhorsen's bells in Lirael's place. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she did not hear the door open, or the little feet as they made their way to the side of the bed. She did feel the covers lift slightly, and the small, warm presence now snuggled close to her.

"Don't cry mum. It makes me sad." Eleriel said softly.

Lirael wiped her cheeks. "I am sorry Ele." She brushed a hand over the top of Eleriel's head.

"Do you want the dog back? Will she make you feel better?"

Eleriel held up the small soapstone figurine of one of the only physical reminders of Lirael's former companion, the Disreputable Dog. Lirael pressed the dog back into Eleriel's grip.

"No, I gave her to you Eleriel. Keep her safe."

"I will mum. I promise." Eleriel yawned. "Tell me the story again? Please?"

Smiling, Lirael began the now almost constant bedtime story. "I lived in the Clayr's Glacier my whole life. It is where I was born." Lirael started. "I was an assistant in the library there."

Eleriel interrupted. "So many books and mysterious rooms that seem to go on forever."

"That's right. I found the dog statue after being somewhere I was not supposed to be. I decided to make a sending in the form of a dog, but got the Disreputable Dog instead."

"And she helped get rid of the Destroyer." Eleriel only vaguely knew about the battle. She understood that a bad thing tried to destroy the world, and Lirael had lost her hand before Sameth replaced it.

"Yes, and then she left." Lirael finished.

Eleriel was half asleep by then. "I wish I could meet her."

"I wish you could too." Lirael said. "Goodnight Eleriel Kibeth." She murmured before she too fell over the edge into the world of slumber.


End file.
